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New Gloucester, ME (NEWS CENTER)-- Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation held a clinic designed to introduce wheelchair athletes to racing and other sports. Sports can be an important part of the rehabilitation process.

An All-Star staff was assembled including Krige Schabort who just set a new course record in the Beach to Beacon. Schabort was a South African soldier when he lost both legs fighting in Angola. He credits sport with hastening his rehabilitation, "Not all people are introduce to sport as was. It helped me a lot."

The inaugural week long clinic introduced athletes to five sports; racing, tennis, swimming, archery and sea-kayaking. There were also opportunities to try other activities such as all-terrain track chair and handcycling.

Craig Blanchette of Portland, Oregon is also a Beach to Beacon winner. Aong with being a world class athlete with two Olympic medals, Blanchette makes his living as a motivational speaker.

Zach Beaulieu of Augusta, who will play club basketball in Europe this fall, feels that sport also connects people with a community. Those contacts are important. "You get the sense of activity and you really see that everything is out there for you," he told NEWS CENTER.

The clinic was held at Pineland and sponsored by Unum.

Anyone who would like to get involved with wheelchair sports should contact the Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation program, which is also known as Maine Adaptive. They can be reached in Bethel, Maine at (207) 824-2440. A link to the website is attached.